London HGV Compliance

The Safer Lorries Scheme introduced into London on 1 September of this year, has been successful to date as it has seen most operators working in and out of London move to comply with the new legislation.

Many of the HGVs involved in cyclist and pedestrian deaths over the past five years when TRL were conducting their studies into the legislation, did not have side guards or all mirrors.

TRL research estimated that the presence of safety equipment on all exempted HGVs would mean that between 3.20 and 6.85 fatalities and between 1.24 and 4.75 serious casualties could have been prevented in the five year study period.

And so…..the introduction of The Safer Lorries Scheme has effectively ended exemptions to prior HGV safety rulings (for example, many construction vehicles are exempt from national legislation to fit side-skirts citing potential problems with ground clearance) and ban all previously exempt HGVs without mirrors and side guards from operating on London’s streets.

The Scheme – enforced by the Police, DVSA and the joint TfL and Department for Transport-funded Industrial HGV Taskforce (IHTF) – fines non-compliant vehicle operators with £1000 for each breach of the Scheme. Repeat offenders may also be referred to the relevant Traffic Commissioner, who is responsible for the licensing and regulation of HGV operators.

The good news is compliance really is very simple, so if you’re looking to expand your operations into Greater London, you needn’t look any further than Cycle Alert for solid advice on London HGV compliance. Needless to say, these compliances are in addition to those you should be following under UK law.

Class V and VI Mirrors

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a compliant operator in possession of a 3.5 tonne or more vehicle must be in want of a Class V and VI mirror.” – If Jane Austen wrote the manuals…

With cyclist collisions with HGVs in London on the increase, Transport for London has made it mandatory for every HGV over 3.5 tonnes that enters the Capital to be fitted with side guards and Class V and VI mirrors.

Class V and VI mirrors in addition to mandatory mirror requirements.

Subject to the type/size of vehicle, there are currently 6 types of mirror which can be fitted to a commercial vehicle as per the table below.

Mirror Type

Fitment location

Class I

Interior rear view mirrors

Class II

Main exterior mirrors

Class III

Main exterior mirrors

Class IV

Wide angle mirrors

Class V

Close proximity mirrors

Class VI

Front mirrors

TRL research suggests that Class V and VI mirrors are between 13% and 52% effective in preventing pedestrian KSIs. This is because the “effectiveness of both the Class V and class VI mirrors are reliant upon driver behaviour as the mirrors must be correctly positioned and used by the driver”.(TRL, 2014)

Side Guards

The panels under the body of the HGV are referred to as aerodynamic panel skirts, side guards, side panels, rails or side skirts. Whatever you call them, their purpose is to reduce aerodynamic drag and save fuel. They have also in recent times been recognised as a safety feature, to prevent cyclists from falling under the vehicle in the event of an accident.

Cycle Alert’s aluminium side guards

The new HGV compliance legislation on side guards brings with it tangible benefits to fleet operators as operators spending money on side guards actually save on fuel and typically recoup their initial outlay in around 18 months.

In keeping with the heightened demand for side guards, Cycle Alert offers a complete range of quality, robust side guard kits to cater all manufacturer and chassis type. Benefits include:

Compliant with UK and EU regulations and London’s Safer Lorry Scheme

Prevents fatalities and reduces impact in the event of a collision with another road user